EBO “Burma News” 15 August 2003

News Summary:

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1. Unthinkable" that Myanmar can lead ASEAN: top US official

2. Myanmar's top court upholds death penalty for Ne Win relatives

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Unthinkable" that Myanmar can lead ASEAN: top US official

WASHINGTON, Aug 14 (AFP) - A senior US official warned Thursday it was

"unthinkable" that Myanmar's generals could be handed the reins of the

Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) nations as scheduled in 2006.

Judith Strotz, a senior State Department official for Southeast Asia, noted

that ASEAN was well aware of the need for reform in Myanmar, where the junta

is locked in a showdown with detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

"The US government believes that ASEAN continues to be in a key position to

support progress towards democracy in Burma," she said at a Heritage

Foundation forum, using the country's former name which is preferred by the

democracy movement.

"Burma is after all ASEAN's only military dictatorship and it is unthinkable that

a military junta could assume chairmanship of ASEAN in 2006 -- that is the year

that Burma is scheduled to take over," said Strotz, director of the office of Burma,

Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam at the State Department.

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Myanmar's top court upholds death penalty for Ne Win relatives

YANGON, Aug 15 (AFP) - Myanmar's Supreme Court has upheld the death

sentences handed to four relatives of former dictator Ne Win for plotting to

overthrow the ruling junta, sources said Friday.

"Their appeal has been rejected and the only recourse for them is to wait

for a pardon from Than Shwe," a source close to the family told AFP, referring

to Myanmar's top general.

The four, Aye Zaw Win, Aye Ne Win, Kyaw Ne Win and Zwe Ne Win, were

informed of the decision on Monday, he said.

A legal source confirmed that a full bench of the court had heard and

rejected their appeal.

"The legal procedures they can take are finished now. This is the final

step," he said, adding that further information was likely to be released by

the court on Monday.

The son-in-law and three grandsons of the late strongman were sentenced to

death by hanging last September, after being arrested in March on charges of

attempting to involve sections of the army in a plan to seize power.

Their first appeal to the court, heard by two judges in November, was

rejected a month later, but they were then permitted to make a second appeal

to the full bench of five judges, the legal source said.

Diplomats and analysts following the case have said Myanmar's military

government was unlikely to hang the four, as the death penalty has not been

used since it came to power in 1988.

Most observers doubt they were seriously attempting to mount a takeover,

but believe the ruling State Peace and Development Council wanted to

demonstrate its firm grip on power.

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