EBO BURMA NEWS 23 JULY 2003

News Summary:

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1. Asian, European ministers to demand release of Myanmar's democracy icon

2. Four Myanmar journalists arrested over football article: media groups

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Asian, European ministers to demand release of Myanmar's democracy icon

by Ahmad Pathoni

NUSA DUA, Indonesia, July 23 (AFP) - Asian and European foreign ministers

were expected to jointly demand the immediate release of Myanmar democracy

icon Aung San Suu Kyi during talks here that began late Wednesday.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said ministers, at the end of

their Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) forum on Thursday, were expected to urge

Myanmar "to respond to the expression of concerns by the international

community, including concerns from ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian

Nations)."

This meant that the junta "has to release Madam Aung San Suu Kyi from

detention," he said.

Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri is preparing to send a "direct

message" to junta chief General Than Shwe seeking the release of the Nobel

Peace laureate, Philippine Foreign Secretary Blas Ople told reporters.

European Commissioner for external relations Chris Patten said he hoped the

meeting would condemn the junta and seek her immediate release.

"I think that it is tragic the regime has done so much damage to the

well-being of the people of Burma and doesn't seem to care," Patten said,

calling on the junta to immediately resume negotiations with Aung San Suu Kyi

and embrace reforms.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad warned at the weekend that

Myanmar might have to be expelled from ASEAN if it defies world pressure.

"The patience of ASEAN is running out as evidenced by the strong warning

from the prime minister of Malaysia," Ople said.

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Four Myanmar journalists arrested over football article: media groups

BANGKOK, July 23 (AFP) - Four Myanmar journalists were arrested over an

article on a football team and two are still being held at an undisclosed

location, press watchdog Reporters Without Borders said Wednesday.

The group (Reporters Sans Frontieres - RSF) expressed outrage at the

arrests of the journalists with weekly sports magazine First Eleven on July 17

and demanded their release.

RSF said military intelligence raided the magazine's office and handcuffed

and detained chief editor Zaw Thet Htwe and journalists Than Htut Aung, Zaw

Myint and Soe Pa Pa Hlaing.

"The editor, a former political prisoner who served a four-year sentence,

was reportedly beaten," RSF said in a joint statement with the Burma Media

Association (BMA).

The article dealt with a fine imposed by the organisers of the Asian

Champion Club tournament on a Myanmar football team for failing to

participate, it said.

RSF said that the military government's move showed "there was no room in

Burma for any news reporting that challenged the will and the caprices of the

generals in power."

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