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BURMA RELATED NEWS - April 19,
2001.
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HEADLINES
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reuters - Rays of hope seen for change in
Myanmar
Dow Jones - ADB
Outlook: Myanmar Urged To Implement Growth Reforms
AFP - UN Human Rights
Commission resolution "unfair": Myanmar
BBC - UN hard on
Burma
Reuters - Myanmar lashes out at "biased" UN rights
resolution
WorldNews.com - Asian
Reforms Support Economic Stability
The Nation - Third Army seizes 7.7m pills in
Tak
Bkk Post - Army seize
speed pills after clash with Karen guerrillas
Xinhuanet - Myanmar
Generates More Electricity in 2000
Xinhuanet - Myanmar's
Bilateral Trade With ASEAN Members Up in 2000
Xinhuanet - Myanmar
Draws 7.3 Bln Dollars' Foreign Investment in 13 Years
Xinhuanet - Myanmar to
Establish ICT Park
Xinhuanet - Myanmar
Rejects U.N. Resolution on Human Rights
Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Is Burma Overcoming Its Political Stalemate? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday April 19, 7:03 AM
Rays of hope seen for change in
Myanmar
By Sonya Hepinstall WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For the
first time in decades, there are signs of the possibility of real political
change in Myanmar, one of the world's most isolated countries, a senior U.S.
diplomat said on Wednesday.
"We are witnessing for the first time in decades some rays of hope," said
Priscilla Clapp, the charge d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Myanmar, which is
also known as Burma.
Clapp said she saw no signs of an heir apparent to Myanmar's top official,
Than Shwe, chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, despite reports
of a power struggle between his No. 2 and 3 men, Maung Aye and Khin Nyunt.
"I don't see a new leadership coming up behind Than Shwe. This may be the
end of a military era," she said. "There's no heir apparent."
The most obvious sign of change in Yangon, the capital, is a secret
dialogue between the government and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, she
said, but there are others, including eased pressure on Suu Kyi's National
League for Democracy.
Between 120 and 150 NLD followers were released from prison recently, and
although most were detained only months ago, longer-term political prisoners are
also "trickling out," Clapp said.
Besides, "the NLD headquarters is operating more freely than it has in a
long time," she said. The government has eased surveillance of the headquarters
and allowed greater freedom of movement for NLD members, she said.
LANGUAGE CHANGES SUBTLY
The language and public attitude of the military government has changed as
well, Clapp told a breakfast of academics, business people and diplomats
sponsored by the Asia Society.
"They talk about democracy being their goal, which is a subtle but major
change," she said. "Democracy always had some sort of pejorative meaning. ... It
always was something that the neo-colonial powers were using as an axe against
the regime."
Clapp said the government was also now using the term "human rights" less
pejoratively and had admitted there was such a thing in Myanmar as forced
labour.
The International Labour Organization voted in November to urge governments
and international bodies to impose sanctions on Myanmar to compel it to respond
to concerns about a system under which rural people are forced to work under
inhuman conditions and without pay on government projects such as road building.
"These are significant developments (but) they are not irreversible. It's
still in a very early stage," she said.
She credited the tenacity of Suu Kyi and the NLD, which in 1990 won
Myanmar's last general election but was not allowed to govern. But she also
lauded the international community, including the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations.
GOAL OF "ENGAGEMENT"
ASEAN, which now counts Myanmar among its 10 members, has often been
criticized in the West for pursuing "engagement" with Yangon rather than
imposing sanctions.
"ASEAN exercises its pressure in very friendly ways. You may not recognize
it as the kind of pressure that the United States would exercise. It's not
straightforward. ... I think that's been going on longer than we realize," Clapp
said.
She especially praised Razali Ismail, a Malaysian diplomat appointed
special representative of U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, for working
methodically from last July to hear diverse views and establishing a permanent
foothold in Yangon.
Razali was the only diplomat given access to Suu Kyi for several months
after she was put under de facto house arrest in September. Clapp said it helped
that Razali was close to Mahathir Mohamad, prime minister of key ASEAN member
Malaysia.
"It makes it more difficult for the Burmese government to deny him access,"
she said.
The military has been in charge of Burma since General Ne Win staged a coup
in 1962.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday April 19, 1:04 PM
ADB Outlook: Myanmar Urged To Implement
Growth Reforms
BANGKOK (Dow Jones)--The Asian
Development Bank has urged the Government of Myanmar to introduce structural
reforms to help the country boost economic growth and reduce poverty, the bank
said in its Asian Development Outlook Thursday.
"The most urgent challenge facing the government is to achieve rapid
economic growth to reduce poverty," the bank said. "If it can initiate a program
of policy reform measures and external aid agencies can provide assistance, the
economy has the potential to maintain broad-based growth."
Myanmar's economy grew 11% in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2000,
according to official estimates. Growth was mainly underpinned by a strong
agricultural performance due to good weather and the expansion of areas under
cultivation.
However, following an initial liberalization of the economy in 1998
progress has slowed. The ADB warned that unless more comprehensive and
consistent structural reforms are undertaken and additional domestic and
external resources are mobilized, economic growth will remain sluggish and
vulnerable to exogenous factors, such as weather, the regional economic
environment and fluctuations in global commodity prices.
ADB noted that the government should boost investment and savings ratios,
which stood at about 12% to 13% in 2000, reduce the budget deficit and promote
exports. It also noted the need to strengthen the banking sector and enhance the
supervisory and regulatory capacities of the central bank.
Total exports stood at $1.1 billion in 1999, consisting mainly of primary
products but with an increasing share of garments and agro-based manufactured
goods. Imports amounted to $2.4 billion resulting in a trade deficit of $1.3
billion in 1999, while the current account registered a smaller deficit of $494
million.
The country's foreign exchange market also remains highly distorted, the
bank said, with a parallel market rate of 460 kyat to the dollar compared to an
official rate of MMK6 to the dollar.
"The policy of multiple and widely divergent foreign exchange rates has to
be given up and unification of the exchange rate implemented as soon as
possible" to remove the distortion in resource allocation and a strong
disincentive to investment, the ADB said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday April 19, 8:32 PM
UN Human Rights Commission resolution
"unfair": Myanmar
BANGKOK, April 19 (AFP) -
Myanmar's ruling junta Thursday dismissed a resolution by the UN Human Rights
Commission that said rights abuses in the country remained at an unacceptable
level.
The resolution, passed without a vote by 53 member countries of the
commission in Geneva, said the body was deeply concerned over Myanmar's
continued persecution of the political opposition, including Nobel Peace Prize
winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
But Myanmar's ruling junta insisted the resolution failed to accurately
portray the situation in the country, particularly because it relied on
information supplied by the UN's previous human rights rapporteur.
The UN's new human rights envoy Paulo Sergio Pinheiro travelled to Myanmar
earlier this month for what the junta called a "constructive" visit, the first
time in five years such a visit was allowed.
"The observations and concerns of the previous special rapporteur, which
have lost touch with the current reality in Myanmar, are given undue
prominence," Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Pinheiro replaced Rajsoomer Lallah, who quit last year having never being
given permission to travel to Yangon.
In contrast to the outspoken Lallah, Pinheiro is said to have adopted a
non-confrontational approach which won plaudits among the notoriously touchy
generals in Yangon.
The resolution also held up for criticism Yangon's failure to end the
generalised and systematic use of forced labour despite three injunctions by the
International Labour Organisation.
However the commission "noted with satisfaction" contacts between the
government and Aung San Suu Kyi as well as the liberation of several political
militants.
Nevertheless, Myanmar blasted the resolution as an unfair and biased attack
that was politically motivated and designed to exert pressure on the government
in a counter-productive way.
"As the resolution is derogatory, unfair and partial, still retaining many
negative elements representing policy of strong-armed tactics by a clearly
biased group of countries, Myanmar has no other alternative but to have
dissociated itself from the resolution."
The UN commission also called on Myanmar to stop laying landmines and to
end the forced displacement of people.
Rights groups have singled out the Myanmar regime as one of the world's
worst human rights offenders.
The UN Human Rights Commission last year passed a resolution expressing
grave concern at the "systematic and increasingly severe" rights violations in
the country.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- BBC - Wednesday, 18 April, 2001, 20:22
GMT 21:22 UK
UN hard on Burma The United Nations Commission of Human Rights has formally passed a
resolution on Burma welcoming some progress, but expressing grave concern over a
number of violations.
The report's findings had been released about a week ago and came up at the
Commission's meeting in Geneva.
The resolution welcomed contacts between Burma's military rulers and the
National League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
But it criticised Burma for what it called systematic persecution against
the League, as well as gross human rights violations including executions, mass
arrests and forced labour.
From the newsroom of the BBC World Service
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- WIRE: 04/19/2001 9:09 am ET
Myanmar lashes out at "biased" UN rights
resolution
By Aung Hla Tun
YANGON, April 19 (Reuters) -
Myanmar's military government lashed out on Thursday at the latest United
Nations human rights resolution on the country, branding it "derogatory, unfair
and partial" and denying accusations of rights abuses.
It also said the resolution would damage "the momentum of cooperation" between the government and the new U.N. human rights envoy to Myanmar, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro. "The resolution is politically motivated and clearly aimed at exerting
continued pressure on the government of Myanmar, which is a misplaced policy
that will in no way contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights,"
the government said in a statement.
"As a government fully compassionate towards its citizenry, the government
of Myanmar will unswervingly continue its efforts to improve the life of the
people of Myanmar."
In Geneva on Wednesday, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
adopted a resolution which praised Myanmar's ruling generals for taking part in
talks with pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi but alleged major
violations of human rights including executions, mass arrests and forced labour.
The resolution expressed grave concern at what it called "the systematic
policy of the government of Myanmar of persecuting the democratic
opposition...members and their families, as well as ethnic opposition parties."
It called on the ruling military to ensure the safety and freedom of
movement of all political leaders, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi,
held under de facto arrest since September with access to her strictly
controlled.
STALEMATE
Myanmar noted the few positive elements in the resolution but said the
criticisms were unfair.
"The resolution, except for a few elements, is far from being objective,
impartial or fair," it said.
"Even the reflection in the resolution of the positive and encouraging
developments in the country is offset in the later part of the resolution by
accentuating the unfounded allegations."
The resolution alleged that the government used intimidatory methods such
as arbitrary arrest and detention, and harsh long-term prison sentences which
"has forced many to refrain from exercising their legitimate political rights."
Myanmar has been locked in political stalemate for years. Suu Kyi's
opposition National League for Democracy won elections in 1990 by a landslide
but has never been allowed to govern.
But relations between the military and the opposition have improved in
recent months with a series of meetings between Suu Kyi and senior generals.
The government says it is committed to building democracy but the country
could disintegrate if political transition is too fast.
The U.N. resolution comes after a visit to Myanmar early this month by
Pinheiro, a Brazilian who took over as U.N. special rapporteur for the country
after the resignation of his predecessor Rajsoomer Lallah in November.
Myanmar's government never allowed Lallah to visit, and its decision to
allow Pinheiro into the country was widely seen as an olive branch to the
international community.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Asian Reforms Support Economic
Stability
WorldNews.com, Wed 18 Apr 2001 World Bank News Roundup.
The Asian currencies, together with the Japanese yen, are once again under
pressure, and some analysts are beginning to wonder whether the region is in for
another 1997-style crisis, notes World Bank chief economist for East Asia
Masahiro Kawai in the Business Times (Singapore). We think not, he says. Though
the symptoms may look similar-falling yen leading to falling currencies across
East Asia-there are major and fundamental differences between then and
now.
Over the last three-and-a-half years, East Asian economies have made their
exchange rates more flexible, run sizeable current account surpluses, reduced
short-term external debt, and accumulated foreign exchange reserves.
Essentially, their economic adjustment and structural reforms paid important
dividends. Today, their short-term external debt is much smaller than their
foreign exchange reserves. This strengthened external position can help fend off
speculative attacks on the currencies in the region. In addition, greater
exchange rate flexibility is providing a cushion to the authorities.
Nevertheless, while a repeat of the 1997 type of currency crisis is
unlikely, some cautions are necessary. First, Malaysia, Hong Kong SAR and China
currently peg their currencies to the US dollar and as a result may suffer a
loss of international price competitiveness due to currency depreciation in the
neighboring countries. At the appropriate time, some of them may consider
stabilizing their exchange rates against a basket of major international
currencies including the US dollar, the Japanese yen, and the euro, to provide
some flexibility and international price competitiveness while reducing
volatility.
Second, Indonesia continues to be problematic. The private corporations'
external debt overhang is still large and unresolved, the Indonesian Bank
Restructuring Agency's asset sales and disposal have been slow, and fiscal
pressure is mounting, thereby posing serious problems for the domestic economy,
reform agendas and external payments solvency. National consensus as to how to
accelerate economic reforms must be reached quickly.
Third, despite the remarkable progress made on financial and corporate
sector restructuring in former crisis-affected countries, the restructuring
efforts have not been followed through adequately, diminishing business and
investor confidence and leaving the financial and corporate sectors vulnerable
to external shocks. The current global slowdown is reducing corporate profits
and adding distress in the banking sectors. Without resolving bank
non-performing loans (Naples) and corporate debt overhangs, these economies face
the risk of prolonged slow growth.
Despite being in a better position now than four years ago, the countries
of East Asia cannot afford to be complacent about reforms, Kawai says. The
prospect of a slowdown should send a signal to all policymakers across East Asia
and the Pacific that the region has a large, unfinished reform agenda-one which
includes bank and corporate restructuring; poverty reduction (with nearly half
the population of East Asia still living on less than $2 a day); governance,
judicial, and public sector reforms; further progress on social development
goals in education and health; renewed attention to environmental issues; and
greater emphasis on trade and investment liberalization and regional
integration. Only steady, sustained progress in these key areas will attract
sufficient investment to create the jobs needed to lift people from poverty and
set the region on a sustainable growth path.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Nation - April 19,
2001.
Third Army seizes 7.7m pills in
Tak
THE Third Army has seized a record haul of methamphetamine pills from a
group of traffickers on the Burma border, army spokesman Col Somkuan
Sangpattaranet announced yesterday.
Some 7.7 million methamphetamine tablets were seized after the Third Army's
Naresuan Task Force ambushed a drug caravan protected by unidentified gunmen in
Tak province on Monday night, Somkuan said.
"We believe the drugs belonged to the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army,"
Somkuan said, adding that the gunmen abandoned the drugs after a brief
firefight.
"Precise intelligence" could be credited for the success of the operation,
he said.
The drug haul was later transferred to police in Chiang Mai.
Monday's haul was the country's second-largest drug seizure after 7.8
million methamphetamine pills and 779 kilograms of heroin were found on a boat
in the Andaman Sea in January.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bangkok Post - April 19,
2001.
Army seize speed pills after clash with
Karen guerrillas
Wassana Nanuam An army special task force clashed with pro-Rangoon Karen guerrillas in
Tak's Phop Phra district on Monday and seized 7.6 million speed pills.
The Naresuan task force, from the Fourth Infantry Regiment, ambushed the
guerrillas of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army near Chong Khaep village
following a tip-off that they would try to smuggle a large quantity of drugs
into Thailand.
The Karen fled after a brief clash, leaving behind 7.6 million
methamphetamine pills.
Army spokesman Col Somkhuan Saengpattharanet said the Thai side suffered no
death or injuries. It was not known if there were any casualties among the
Karen.
A border source said the drugs seized from the Karen were part of some 40
million speed pills the Red Wa planned to smuggle into Thailand during the
Songkran festival. The shipment was meant to be delivered to Hmong and Chinese
Haw dealers in Phop Phra, the source said.
Lt-Gen Wattanachai Chaimuenwong, the Third Army chief, said he would meet
Burma's Triangle Region commander Maj-Gen Thein Sein to discuss Thai-Burmese
agreements reached at the April 2-4 Regional Border Committee meeting in
Kengtung
Burmese leaders promised during the meeting to help destroy illicit drug
factories in their territory if Thailand could pinpoint their locations.
Lt-Gen Wattanachai said he would pass on such information to Rangoon so the
Burmese could take action.
He would also watch Rangoon closely to see if it keeps its promise.
So far, there has been no progress in drug suppression on the part of
Burma.
He said the inaction might be because border authorities were still waiting
for instructions from Rangoon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar Generates More Electricity
in 2000
2001.04.19 10:03:32 YANGON, April 19 (Xinhuanet) --
Electric power generated by the state-run Myanma Electric Power Enterprise
(MEPE), the main electricity supplier of the country, totaled 5.028
billion kilowatt-hours (kwh) in 2000, 17 percent more than in 1999,
said the latest issue of the government Economic Indicators.
Meanwhile, the installed generating capacity of the MEPE reached
1,172 megawatts (mw) at the end of 2000.
According to the MEPE, since 1988, Myanmar's electric power installed
generating capacity has increased by 509 mw, of which that of natural gas
power plants rose by 255 mw, while that of steam power ones by 143 mw and
that of hydropower ones by 111 mw.
Myanmar is implementing five more hydropower plants -- Paunglaung,
Zaungtu, Mone, Thaphanseik and Maipan. Three of them are being built by
China.
Upon their completion, the five power plants will add 407 mw to
Myanmar's installed generating capacity and is expected to greatly ease
the serious electricity shortage problem of the country.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar's Bilateral Trade With
ASEAN Members Up in 2000
2001.04.19 10:04:03 YANGON, April 19 (Xinhuanet) --
Myanmar's bilateral trade with five other member countries of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -- Singapore, Thailand,
Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines -- totaled 1.651 billion U.S.
dollars in 2000, up 8.76 percent from 1999.
According to the latest figures published by the country's Central
Statistical Organization, trade with the five countries accounted for 40.4
percent of Myanmar's total foreign trade during the year with its import from
these ASEAN members amounting to 1. 243 billion dollars, while its export to
them valued at 408 million dollars.
Of Myanmar's bilateral trade with these ASEAN member states during
2000, that with Singapore accounted for the highest volume with 756.96
million dollars or 18.5 percent of the country's total foreign trade, followed
by that with Thailand, 534.41 million dollars or 13 percent, that with
Malaysia 242.39 million dollars or 5.93 percent and that with Indonesia
114.26 million dollars or 2.79 percent.
However, import from the Philippines was nil, and the export to that
country was worth only 3.85 million dollars.
In 2000, Myanmar's total foreign trade, including the border trade,
totaled 4.086 billion dollars, of which imports were valued at 2.567 billion
dollars, while exports amounted to 1.519 billion dollars. The trade
deficit stood at 1.048 billion dollars.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar Draws 7.3 Bln Dollars'
Foreign Investment in 13 Years
2001.04.19 10:05:33 YANGON, April 19 (Xinhuanet) --
Contracted foreign investment in Myanmar totaled 7.312 billion U.S.
dollars in 345 projects as of the end of 2000 since the country opened to
such investment in late 1988, according to the latest figures issued by
the country's Central Statistical Organization.
Of the leading foreign investors, Singapore ranked first with 1. 504
billion dollars, followed by Britain with 1.401 billion dollars and
Thailand with 1.264 billion dollars.
Other investors are successively Malaysia, United States, France,
Netherlands, Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
(SAR), China, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Austria, Australia, Canada,
Panama, Germany, Denmark, Cyprus, India Macao SAR, Bangladesh, Israel and
Sri Lanka.
Of the 10 sectors into which the foreign investment was injected, oil
and gas stood atop with 2.355 billion dollars, followed by manufacturing
with 1.552 billion dollars and hotels and tourism with 1.054 billion
dollars.
After the outbreak of the Asian financial crisis in mid-1997,
Myanmar's foreign investment fell year by year.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar to Establish ICT
Park
2001.04.19 10:58:08 YANGON, April 19 (Xinhuanet) --
Myanmar is planning to establish an information and communications
technology (ICT) park, aimed at paving way for the country's youths to
enter the field of computer science, widening the future information technology
(IT) field and accelerating its functions.
According to sources at the Myanmar Computer Science Development
Council, arrangements are also being made to set up a telecommunication
data center in the ICT park.
The ICT park to be set up will render much assistance to the country
to partake in the globally developing software program with the available
human resources, Chairman of the council, Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt,
said at a function here Thursday.
Myanmar has been striving for the development of the ICT, working out
strategies and policies to meet the challenges arising in this knowledge and
participate in the global competition.
Accordingly, the Myanmar government is giving encouragement and incentive
to investment in the field by private sector, especially in education and human
resources development for the IT.
In order to create a favorable environment to facilitate cooperation
with other countries, the government synchronized its IT principles and
codes, enacted necessary laws and standardized criteria.
In cooperation with fellow members of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN), Myanmar joined in signing the Electronic(e)-ASEAN
Framework Agreement in November 2000, pledging to implement the e-ASEAN
initiative to strive for providing access to the country's 50 million people
having a tele-density of 0.53 per 100 people.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar Rejects U.N. Resolution on
Human Rights
2001.04.19 20:34:44 YANGON, April 19 (Xinhuanet) --
The Myanmar government Thursday rejected a resolution adopted on Wednesday
by the U.N. Human Rights Commission on the country's human rights
situation, calling the resolution far from being objective, impartial or
fair.
"Even the reflection in the resolution of the positive and
encouraging developments in the country is offset in the later part of the
resolution by accentuating the unfounded allegations of human rights
emanating from those elements who are bent on tarnishing the image of the
government," the Myanmar Foreign Ministry blamed in a press release here
Thursday.
The press release also charged that the resolution is politically
motivated and aimed at exerting continued pressure on the Myanmar
government, which it said is a misplaced policy that will in no way
contribute to the promotion and protection on human rights.
Charging that the resolution is derogatory, unfair and partial, still
retaining many negative elements representing a policy of strong-armed
tactics by a clearly biased group of countries, Myanmar has decided to
dissociate itself from the resolution having no other alternative, the
press release said.
It warned that the continued pursuit of this policy will not serve
any useful purpose, pledging that the Myanmar government will unswervingly
continue its efforts to improve the life of the Myanmar people.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Neue Zürcher Zeitung - April 19,
2001.
Is Burma Overcoming Its Political
Stalemate?
Dialogue between the Junta and Aung San Suu Kyi Urs Morf A recent visit to Burma by a UN human rights reporter is the latest link in
a chain of events which seems to indicate some political movement within the
country's military dictatorship. The ruling junta and opposition leader Suu Kyi
have resumed a dialogue, though no one can say whether it will ultimately lead
to the generals' relinquishing power.
Last week, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the UN's human rights reporter for Burma,
was allowed a three-day visit to that country, which has been ruled by a
military dictatorship since 1962 and remains largely isolated from the rest of
the world. After the visit, Pinheiro reported on his exploratory tour to the UN
Human Rights Commission in Geneva. He noted that he had been treated correctly
and with distinct courtesy by the junta, which now calls itself the "State Peace
and Development Council" (SPDC). His hosts permitted him to conduct whatever
talks he wished, both with members of the ruling elite and with representatives
of the opposition camp. The UN emissary also met with Nobel Peace Prize winner
Aung San Suu Kyi, the charismatic opposition leader who, since her National
League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory in 1990 elections, has spent
more time under government-ordered house arrest than she has in freedom. To this
day, Burma's ruling generals still refuse to permit her and her party to form a
government and to hand over power to it. Without going into detail about his
talks, Pinheiro stated that representatives of both sides had expressed
"cautious optimism" that the 11-year-old political stalemate may soon be broken.
The Junta Shifts Course
Actually, the mere fact that the Burmese junta permitted the Brazilian political science professor to enter the country was noteworthy in itself. Pinheiro was named UN human rights reporter last December. His predecessor, Rajsoomer Lallah, a former high judge from Mauritius, had not been allowed into Burma even once during his entire tenure, which ran from 1996 until his resignation last autumn. Consequently, in composing his reports on the human rights situation in Burma, Lallah had had to rely entirely on information from exiled dissidents and from Burmese refugees living in neighboring Thailand. Among the things he regularly listed as the most widespread human rights violations in Burma were: systematic extortion, rape, torture, exploitation, and summary execution of family members, especially of Burma's numerous ethnic minorities. Just as regularly, Burma's junta rejected the reports as lies and anti-Burmese propaganda, with no bearing on the reality of life in that country. Perhaps the regime has finally taken note of the fact that its denials were given far less credibility by world opinion than were the Lallah Reports, which seriously damaged Burma's prestige abroad. In any event, Pinheiro's visit is the latest link in a whole chain of events indicating that there has been some movement in Burma lately. At the least, there has been some slight softening in the junta's previously very tough stance toward the opposition and toward foreign critics. In part, that softening goes back to a clever move on the part of UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan. A year ago, Annan appointed Razali Ismail, a
Malaysian career diplomat, to be the UN's special emissary for Burma. Malaysia
is the country which, in 1997, pushed hardest for Burma's acceptance as a member
of the Association of South-East Asian Nations. Aside from commercial
considerations, what admittedly prompted Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir to
take that stand was largely his traditional anti-Western attitude. He wanted to
prove that an "Asian" and "non-confrontational" approach would do more for the
economic and political reintegration of a long-isolated Burma than the sanctions
policy of "western neocolonialists and preachers of democracy."
Initial Success of the "Asian" Approach
Developments in recent months appear to prove Mahathir right, at least so far. Special UN Emissary Razali has not only been officially received on three visits to Burma's capital of Rangoon, he has achieved at least one major breakthrough: thanks to his mediation, there has been a resumption of the direct dialogue between the ruling generals and opposition leader Suu Kyi, which had been broken off in 1995. Suu Kyi's partner in the talks is General Khin Nyunt, the number-three man in Burma's power hierarchy, who is seen as the head of the junta's "enlightened" faction which is working toward a modernization of the country and a gradual easing of the regime. The first round of talks mediated by Razali came last October, only one month after the opposition leader's attempts to leave the capital by car and train in order to visit her supporters in the provinces had so infuriated the generals that they again placed her under house arrest and jailed numerous NLD members. Suu Kyi's first talks with General Khin apparently initiated a kind of thaw. In January, the junta received an official EU delegation for the first time in years, and at the same time the Burmese media suddenly halted their almost daily, personally insulting polemics against Suu Kyi. In late January, 85 members of the NLD were released from prison. In February, General Khin received the head of the U.S. State Department's East Asia desk and allowed that gentleman to also meet with the opposition leader. In late March, in honor of Army Day, which more or less serves as Burma's national holiday, another 16 NLD members were set free. Above all, talks between Suu Kyi and the generals have continued; according to people close to her, she has already had six visits from General Khin. What keeps foreign diplomats in Rangoon and Burma specialists in Thailand
wondering is the still-unanswered question of what those talks have been about,
as well as why the generals have been so willing to resume the dialogue. After
all, despite the years of Western economic sanctions, they still appear to be
firmly in the saddle, and thanks to the ruthless exploitation of their
privileges and the country's natural resources, at least some of them enjoy a
conspicuously luxurious standard of living - even as the majority of Burma's
people are increasingly impoverished by economic mismanagement.
No Western Aid without Dialogue
Some observers believe that at least a few of the junta members want to continue modernizing the country and have reached the conclusion that its enormous backwardness cannot be overcome on its own or just with the aid of neighboring Asian countries. A bit of cynicism may be involved as well: The holdings of the individual generals would probably yield still greater profits under the influence of a wave of Western aid money and direct investments, and the regime has to hold a dialogue with Suu Kyi in order to get rid of American and European sanctions. Prior to the resumption of talks, a better understanding of the objective situation was obviously needed on the other side as well. According to observers, opposition leader Suu Kyi has also taken a marked turn away from her previous strategy. That strategy consisted mainly of keeping up the pressure on the generals through actions aimed at appealing primarily to public sympathy abroad - well-deserved sympathy, be it noted - in the belief that the junta would thus be forced to its knees sooner or later. More recently, however, Suu Kyi seems to have realized that her first task, in order to achieve her long-term goal, is to overcome her growing domestic political isolation. At present, she is obviously deliberately refraining from anything which the junta could interpret as provocation. According to those close to her, on a number of occasions she has even asked foreign emissaries not to visit her any more while she is under house arrest. Moreover, from all foreign visitors she has requested absolute discretion regarding the contents of her talks with the generals, in order not to endanger their continuation. Retreat or Another Freeze?
This policy of secrecy has been successful so far. Considering the circumstances, it may also be justified. But it makes it virtually impossible for outsiders to gauge the content of the dialogue or the chances that Burma may one day evolve into a democracy. At any rate, despite several months of continuing thaw, most observers still consider it inconceivable that, after years of tenaciously clinging to power and privilege, the generals could suddenly be persuaded to relinquish them purely through dialogue. Nor can it be ruled out that the current thaw will be followed by another freeze in the event that the upper hand is again won by the junta's hardline faction, for whom the thoroughly comfortable status quo is much to be preferred over any experimentation with the "good will" of the West and the domestic opposition. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |