|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
BURMA RELATED NEWS - MAY 04,
2002.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
HEADLINES
----------------------------------------------------------------- Baltimore Sun - Aung San Suu Kyi
AFP - Waiting game in Myanmar as Aung San Suu
Kyi's release looms
Reuters - Doubts hang over release of Suu Kyi in
Myanmar
Reuters - Former dictator's relatives go on
trial in Myanmar
Reuters - Singapore open to regional tie-ups
against terror
Reuters - Myanmar activists hold out hope for
Suu Kyi release
Reuters - Hope competes with
fear at Myanmar opposition HQ
AP - Prosecutors submit coup plot case to
Myanmar court
----------------------------------------------------------------- Baltimore Sun
Aung San Suu Kyi Originallorey published May 3, 2002 APACK OF FOREIGN journalists has been allowed to enter Myanmar on rarely
granted visas. The phone line to the headquarters of the National League for
Democracy - the long suppressed opponents of that country's ruling military
junta - has been restored. And the potholes in the road leading to the home of
Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi have been patched.
For close watchers of the narco-pariah state that used to be known as Burma, these have been just some of the indicators this week of the imminent release of the NLD leader from 19 months of house arrest - a move that some expect could happen as soon as today. Ms. Suu Kyi's release from imprisonment has been sought by many around the
world. The pro-democracy crusader's years of restriction symbolize the even more
terrible repression of her more than 40 million countrymen under a series of
military dictatorships for the last 40 years.
The daughter of her nation's independence hero, Ms. Suu Kyi was first
arrested in 1989 while campaigning in a national election in which the NLD later
took 82 percent of the vote - an election that the current regime refused to
recognize. She stayed under house arrest until 1995 - her sons had to accept her
1991 Nobel Prize - and was arrested again in 2000 for trying to travel to
another city within Myanmar. She has not been seen in public since.
Prodded by a United Nations envoy and by warnings of even stiffer
international economic sanctions, her release could be a very hopeful turn in a
country where the public wellbeing has been rapidly deteriorating. In many ways,
this is North Korea with a twist: An estimated 1 percent of the population is
HIV-infected, and the regime makes its money from heroin and methamphetamine
sales rather than arms peddling.
But Ms. Suu Kyi's release should not be mistaken for the outbreak of
democracy in Myanmar. As of yesterday, there was still concern that her release
might not be unconditional. (As one activist put it, all that might be changing
is the size of her cage.) Nor was there indication that the ruling generals
might release some of the estimated 1,300 other political prisoners in Myanmar's
jails.
Reports from Myanmar do speculate that the junta may allow Ms. Suu Kyi to
help it administer the country's international aid for health and education.
Though that may turn out to be a positive step toward allowing her a legitimate
government role, it also could be a cynical ploy to encourage the resumption of
such aid, which has been largely cut off.
Under almost any scenario, Myanmar's generals still have a long way to go -
toward ending their drug trade, their brutalization of the country's ethnic
minorities and their political suppression of the NLD. The world should keep the
pressure on them.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday May 4, 11:28 AM
Waiting game in Myanmar as Aung San Suu Kyi's release looms (AFP) - Myanmar's democratic
opposition, diplomats and media were forced to play the waiting game as they
watched anxiously for the expected release of Aung San Suu Kyi after 19 months
under house arrest.
The headquarters of her National League for Democracy (NLD) was abuzz with
anticipation as party members gathered Friday to await signs that an agreement
on her release had finally been forged with the military government.
"We are totally exhilarated that she will be freed. We will be very happy
if it happens," said party worker Hla Myint, one of a group of women selling
badges and posters emblazoned with the image of their charismatic leader.
Soe Myint, a member of the party's decision-making Central Executive
Committee, said last-minute negotiations over the conditions for her liberation
were still being deliberated.
"This is a very critical stage, they don't want to say anything which would
adversely affect a very fragile situation. but you can see by yourself that
everyone is here and waiting," he told AFP.
His deputy in the NLD's Yangon divisional organising committee, Than Win,
said the party expected that the Nobel peace laureate would visit the downtown
headquarters immediately after she was allowed to leave her lakeside
villa.
"She's in a key position, all of us are expecting her. As soon as she's
released she will come here to speak and as far as I know she will come to the
NLD headquarters every day," he said.
Dozens of foreign media who have descended on Yangon in recent days swarmed
around the ramshackle building, which was packed full of people swapping notes
and bowls of food as well as conducting regular lessons for youngsters.
Meanwhile, military intelligence officials kept their own vigil, snapping
photos and taking video footage of everyone entering the wooden building, from
their usual vantage point in a tea shop across the road.
Anticipation that the restrictions against Aung San Suu Kyi would be lifted
were sparked on Tuesday when UN envoy to Myanmar Razali Ismail, who visited here
last week, hinted the release could be imminent.
Observers in Yangon said the ruling State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC) had much to settle before making such a move, and may also be preparing a
statement on the historic talks begun with Aung San Suu Kyi in October
2000.
"Rumours have been started that (the release) won't be today, that it'll be
tomorrow, and there's another rumour that it might be later," said one
Yangon-based diplomat. "Quite frankly I don't think anyone really knows."
"It might mean there's some sort of hitch, but it might just mean they're
just trying to sort things out.
"But I wouldn't make too much of the delay, as they (the junta) never said
when it would happen," he said, adding that the regime ensures its every move is
planned down to the last detail, and never makes major steps in haste.
The agreement on Aung San Suu Kyi's release is likely to cover her freedom
of movement, the release of political prisoners and the future operations of the
NLD.
Her party has said she is concerned at the prospect of returning to
conditions she endured after 1995 when she was freed from six years under house
arrest but forbidden to leave the capital Yangon.
"We don't want to make a repeat of '95," NLD vice-chairman Tin Oo said
Thursday, while adding that reaching a satisfactory agreement was
"feasible".
The United States also said Tuesday it would welcome the release of
Myanmar's democracy figurehead, but that her freedom must be
"unconditional".
----------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday May 4, 11:40 AM
Doubts hang over release of Suu Kyi in Myanmar By Andrew Marshall YANGON, May 4 (Reuters) -
Expectations that the world's most famous political prisoner, Aung San Suu Kyi,
is about to be freed from 19 months house arrest in Myanmar became clouded by
doubts on Saturday among fellow pro-democracy opposition activists.
Myanmar has been abuzz all week with feverish speculation that the
56-year-old Nobel peace laureate was about to be freed after striking a deal
with the ruling junta in a breakthrough after years of political stalemate.
Senior leaders of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy
(NLD) say she told them this week she expected to be released within days
following secret meetings with the junta.
But the military government has been silent on the expected release, and
Suu Kyi's home on University Avenue in Yangon was still blocked off by
barricades and a "No Entry" sign.
Every day, scores of opposition activists have crammed into the dilapidated
headquarters of the NLD waiting for word. So far, they have heard nothing.
Political sources said no developments were expected at the weekend and Suu
Kyi's release would not happen before Monday at the earliest. They said the deal
appeared to have been held up by haggling over whether her release would be
unconditional.
Suu Kyi spent a previous spell in house arrest from 1989 to 1995, and her
release then was marked with jubilant scenes as large crowds thronged the street
outside her residence.
Diplomats say the junta wants to avoid a repeat, and has been trying to
reach agreement with Suu Kyi that she will keep a low profile after her release.
They said this may be a sticking point in the talks to secure her freedom.
STILL BARGAINING
"The military regime is very reluctant for an unconditional release," Sann
Aung, a minister in a shadow government set up by exiled opposition politicians,
told Reuters in Bangkok.
"They're still bargaining."
The release of Suu Kyi is among the top demands of the international
community, which has isolated Myanmar and imposed economic sanctions on the
impoverished country in a bid to force political change.
The United States said this week it would welcome freedom for Suu Kyi but
told the junta her release must be unconditional and would not automatically
lead to a lifting of sanctions. The NLD has also said it wants her to be
released with no restrictions on her movement.
On Saturday, neighbouring Thailand, which as a fellow member of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) seldom veers from the grouping's
refusal to comment on a member's internal affairs, said it supported Suu Kyi's
immediate release.
But sanctions were counterproductive to political change, a Thai government
statement said.
"Thailand would congratulate and support the Myanmar government if they
decide to release Aung San Suu Kyi, but so far the foreign ministry has not
received confirmation of when the release will happen," said a statement by Thai
Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai received by Reuters.
"Thailand disagrees with international plans to boycott Myanmar, we think
Thailand and other countries should support Myanmar for humanitarian reasons,"
he said.
The NLD won Myanmar's last democratic elections in 1990 by a landslide, but
the junta refused to hand over power. The military has ruled the country,
formerly known as Burma, since 1962.
The ruling generals began secretive talks with Suu Kyi in October 2000,
saying they wanted to find common ground to break the political stalemate. But
so far, the talks have yielded no concrete results, and patience is wearing
thin.
COUP TRIAL BEGINS
Political sources say the military has been trying to strike a deal with
Suu Kyi under which she would call for an easing of sanctions and co-operate
with the government in some humanitarian fields like education and health.
State media said on Friday the trial had begun of four relatives of elderly
former dictator Ne Win who were arrested in March and accused of planning a
coup.
The four -- a son-in-law and three grandsons of Ne Win -- face the death
penalty if found guilty.
The government says they had plotted to overthrow the government in league
with a group of military officers and an expert in black magic hired to provide
astrological advice.
Like his old enemy Suu Kyi, Ne Win is now being held in house arrest. But
while Suu Kyi may soon be freed, Ne Win is expected to stay in detention for the
rest of his life.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday May 4, 1:28 AM
Former dictator's relatives go on trial in Myanmar By Andrew Marshall YANGON (Reuters) - The trial of
four relatives of former dictator Ne Win accused of plotting a coup to overthrow
Myanmar's military government began on Friday, state television reported, with
the defendants facing execution if found guilty.
Ne Win's son-in-law and three grandsons were arrested at a Yangon
restaurant in March and accused of planning a coup in league with a group of
military officers and an expert on black magic who was hired to provide
astrological advice.
They are charged with high treason, which carries the death penalty, but
legal sources said that if they were found guilty they were more likely to face
long prison terms.
Ne Win seized power in a military coup in 1962 and ruled Myanmar for more
than quarter of a century. He stepped down in 1988 and handed power to a new
generation of generals when the country was convulsed by pro-democracy protests
which were bloodily put down by the military.
Even after he relinquished power, Ne Win was believed to wield considerable
power behind the scenes. But since the alleged coup plot was uncovered in March
he has been held in house arrest at his family's compound in Yangon.
One of Ne Win's bitterest enemies, pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San
Suu Kyi, is also under house arrest in Yangon.
But unlike Ne Win, she faces a brighter future and Myanmar is abuzz with
rumours that the military government will release her within days.
The release of the 56-year-old Nobel peace laureate is among the top
demands of the international community, which has isolated Myanmar and imposed
economic sanctions on the impoverished country in a bid to force political
change.
PURGE OF DICTATOR'S ALLIES
Many Western diplomats have said it is unlikely the accused facing the
court on Friday had been seriously planning a coup and that the accusations may
be an attempt to purge the ruling junta of allies of Ne Win.
Officials say they are still investigating the coup plot and that it is too
early to say whether Ne Win himself was involved.
Myanmar television did not say where the trial of his relatives was being
held. But sources said it was at Insein Central Prison in Yangon, where they are
being detained.
Ne Win was the architect of Myanmar's military dictatorship. After he
seized power, he embarked on what he called "The Burmese Way to Socialism",
running the country according to a mixture of communist central planning and
Buddhist mysticism.
Astrologers were among his most important advisers and many of his
decisions were based on the pronouncements of fortune tellers.
Deeply superstitious, he even replaced the country's banknotes with
denominations which were multiples of nine, which Ne Win believed was his lucky
number.
Under his rule, Burma went from being one of the richest countries in Asia
to one of the poorest and most isolated.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday May 4, 6:17 PM
Singapore open to regional tie-ups against terror SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore
said on Saturday it is willing to help anti-terrorism efforts under a pact
between Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
"Singapore has indicated that if the three countries wanted the rest of
ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) to be involved, they could send
the trilateral agreement to us to study," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said
in a statement, in response to queries from Reuters.
"In the meantime, if there are certain sectors where Singapore can add
value to the cooperation, we will be most willing to consider it," the ministry
said.
Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines were expected to sign an
anti-terror agreement in Kuala Lumpur on May 7 and officials have said Thailand
and possibly Myanmar may join later. The agreement will allow exchanges of
intelligence information.
Indonesia had insisted it was working with Singapore in fighting terrorism
despite the city state's absence from the pact.
Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew created a diplomatic row between
the two neighbours recently when he said terrorists roamed free in the vast
archipelago, parts of which are just a few miles away from the tiny island
nation.
Since the September 11 attacks on the United States, Singapore, Malaysia
and the Philippines have arrested numerous suspects linked to a regional network
of militant Muslims, and have named Indonesians as among its leaders.
Singapore said it uncovered bomb plots aimed at U.S. targets.
But Jakarta has made no arrests, saying hard evidence was lacking and it no
longer had the draconian internal security laws that permit some neighbours to
detain suspects indefinitely without trial.
The 10-member ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday May 4, 3:58 PM
Myanmar activists hold out hope for Suu Kyi release By Andrew Marshall YANGON (Reuters) - The world's
most famous political prisoner, Aung San Suu Kyi, is set to be freed from 19
months in house arrest within days despite fears a last-minute hitch had delayed
her release, political sources said on Saturday.
Myanmar has been abuzz all week with speculation that the 56-year-old Nobel
peace laureate was about to be freed after striking a deal with the ruling junta
in a breakthrough after years of political stalemate.
Senior leaders of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) say she
told them this week she expected to be released soon following secret meetings
with the junta.
But the military government has been silent and the way to Suu Kyi's home
on University Avenue in Yangon was still blocked off on Saturday by barricades
and a "No Entry" sign.
Every day, scores of opposition activists have crammed into the dilapidated
headquarters of the NLD waiting for word. So far, they have heard nothing.
Political sources told Reuters it was probable Suu Kyi would be freed on
Sunday or Monday, and that she would speak to the media on Monday. But there was
also speculation that her release had been held up by haggling over whether
there would be any conditions attached.
STILL BARGAINING
Suu Kyi spent a previous spell in house arrest from 1989 to 1995, and her
release then was marked with jubilant scenes as large crowds thronged the street
outside her residence.
Diplomats say the junta wants to avoid a repeat and has been trying to
reach agreement with Suu Kyi that she will keep a low profile after her release.
They said this may be a sticking point in the talks to secure her freedom.
"The military regime is very reluctant for an unconditional release," Sann
Aung, a minister in a shadow government set up by exiled opposition politicians,
told Reuters in Bangkok.
"They're still bargaining."
The release of Suu Kyi is among the top demands of the international
community, which has isolated Myanmar and imposed economic sanctions on the
impoverished country in a bid to force political change.
The United States said this week it would welcome freedom for Suu Kyi but
told the junta her release must be unconditional and would not automatically
lead to a lifting of sanctions. The NLD has also said it wants her to be
released with no restrictions on her movement.
On Saturday, neighbouring Thailand, which as a fellow member of the
Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) seldom veers from the bloc's
refusal to comment on a member's internal affairs, said it would welcome Suu
Kyi's release.
But it said sanctions would not help political change.
"Thailand would congratulate and support the Myanmar government if they
decide to release Aung San Suu Kyi, but so far the foreign ministry has not
received confirmation of when the release will happen," Thai Foreign Minister
Surakiart Sathirathai said in a statement.
"Thailand disagrees with international plans to boycott Myanmar," he said.
"We think Thailand and other countries should support Myanmar for humanitarian
reasons."
The NLD won Myanmar's last democratic elections in 1990 by a landslide, but
the junta refused to hand over power. The military has ruled the country,
formerly known as Burma, since 1962.
The generals began secretive talks with Suu Kyi in October 2000, saying
they wanted to find common ground to break the political stalemate. But so far,
the talks have yielded no concrete results, and patience is wearing thin.
COUP TRIAL BEGINS
Political sources say the military has been trying to strike a deal with
Suu Kyi under which she would call for an easing of sanctions and co-operate
with the government in some humanitarian fields like education and health.
State media said on Friday the trial had begun of four relatives of elderly
former dictator Ne Win who were arrested in March and accused of planning a
coup.
The four -- a son-in-law and three grandsons of Ne Win -- face the death
penalty if found guilty.
The government says they had plotted to overthrow the government in league
with a group of military officers and an expert in black magic hired to provide
astrological advice.
Like his old enemy Suu Kyi, Ne Win is now being held in house arrest. But
while Suu Kyi may soon be freed, Ne Win is expected to stay in detention for the
rest of his life.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Hope competes with fear at Myanmar
opposition HQ
YANGON, May 3 (Reuters)? They
are caught between hope and fear, buoyed by feverish speculation that Myanmar
pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi will soon be free but increasingly anxious
as day after day goes by with no word of her release.
Every day, scores of opposition activists crowd into the dilapidated
headquarters of the National League for Democracy (NLD), risking the ire of the
military government by showing their support for Suu Kyi's struggle.
This week, the chaotic office has buzzed with speculation that Suu Kyi --
or ''The Lady'' as many ordinary people call her -- is set to be released after
19 months of house arrest.
Journalists and diplomats have joined the throng of party activists crammed
into the building waiting for news.
But so far, no news has come.
''We have been told the Lady will be coming to see us soon,'' said one
woman who sells clothes in the NLD's headquarters to help finance its
activities.
''We are all waiting. We have not seen her for a long time, but we are
always thinking of her.''
The NLD is regarded by many as Myanmar's legitimate government. It scored a
landslide victory in the country's last elections in 1990, but the ruling
generals refused to hand over power.
NLD members have been harassed and jailed, and Suu Kyi has spent much of
the last decade confined to her home.
But despite the intimidation and arrests, the NLD headquarters has remained
a focal point for dissent and a rallying point for opposition to military rule.
ORGANISED CHAOS It is an unlikely place to launch a revolution.
The NLD's headquarters is a ramshackle two-storey building on a tree-shaded
street in central Yangon. Dozens of elderly activists squat on the pavement
outside, exchanging gossip.
Inside, behind the building's heavy rusting metal gates, the cavernous
interior is a hive of activity. The air is alive with chatter, laughter and the
wails of children.
In one corner, dozens of students sit on benches in front of a blackboard
for an English lesson from an NLD activist. Women with ancient foot-powered
sewing machines make clothes and NLD armbands. Others prepare the latest edition
of the party's newspaper on a rudimentary printing machine.
The walls are pale green -- or rather, they were, once. Now they are
chipped, blackened and discoloured by mouldering patches of damp. Chunks of
plaster have fallen from the ceiling. Neon striplights illuminate the gloom.
Paintings of Suu Kyi and her father, independence hero Aung San, hang
around the musty room along with pro-democracy banners. The walls are lined by
old wooden cabinets full of yellowing papers, old ledgers and years of
accumulated junk.
A couple of electric fans fail to make much of an impact on the stifling
heat inside. All around the room, activists try to keep themselves cool by
flapping bamboo fans.
Across the road is a teashop where military intelligence agents loiter,
dressed in the sarong-style longyis worn by most Myanmar men. Visitors to the
NLD headquarters are routinely photographed as they enter and leave.
PREPARING FOR THE LADY
Hopes that Suu Kyi will soon be freed spurred activists into action this
month to spruce up their headquarters.
Workmen have arrived with wooden planks, plywood boards and even an
air-conditioning unit. Party members say they want to get an office ready for
Suu Kyi ahead of her release.
In another small concession from the junta, the building had its telephone
line reconnected this week. It is the first time in years the NLD headquarters
has had a working telephone.
A whiteboard proudly announces the new telephone number, and the opening
hours of the building. Another whiteboard, trying to deflect constant
questioning from journalists, gives what little information the NLD has about
Suu Kyi.
''We are expecting some news on Aung San Suu Kyi in a few days,'' it says.
The message has not changed for days.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Prosecutors submit coup plot case
to Myanmar court
Fri May 3,10:11 AM ET YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -
Government prosecutors on Friday submitted to a court their case against some of
former dictator Ne Win's relatives, who are accused of plotting a coup against
Myanmar's ruling military regime, officials said.
The officials said investigations have been completed and a trial was
expected to take place soon. The judge will set a trial date if he decides the
case has merit.
The government officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said
prosecutors presented their case to the Yangon Division Court, chaired by Judge
Aung Ngwe.
No other details ? including what the charges were or who was named in the
case ? were available.
But last month, senior intelligence official Maj. Gen. Kyaw Win said the
suspects would be put on trial for high treason, a crime punishable by
death.
Myanmar authorities arrested Aye Zaw Win ? the husband of Ne Win's daughter
Sandar Win ? and their three sons on March 7 for allegedly trying to recruit
military units to kidnap junta leaders and force them to swear allegiance to Ne
Win.
The four men are being held at the Insein prison outside Yangon. Ne Win,
91, and Sandar Win are under de facto house arrest.
The junta claimed the family planned the coup because they were upset about
losing some of the economic and social privileges they previously enjoyed. The
secretive regime has released few other details about the case.
Many observers wonder whether the coup plot really existed, and have
speculated that the plot allegations may be a government attempt to neutralize
Ne Win, who is said to have wielded behind-the-scenes influence on the
government.
The speculation gained ground as the junta was engaged in reconciliation
talks with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Ne Win is believed to be
bitterly opposed to giving Suu Kyi any concessions.
Ne Win came to power in a 1962 coup and stepped down in 1988 in the face of
pro-democracy demonstrations, which were eventually quashed by the military. The
army generals then seized control.
They have drawn international criticism for refusing to hand over power to
Suu Kyi's party, which won 1990 general elections. But a breakthrough in
Myanmar's political deadlock appears imminent, with Suu Kyi ? who has been under
house detention for 19 months ? expected to be released soon.
----------------------------------------------------------------- |